Up to 20,000 residents in east London will be able to get live CCTV footage of their neighbourhood on their own television sets under a new government-funded scheme, it emerged today.

The initiative, which has raised privacy fears from civil rights campaigners, is about to be piloted on two council estates in Shoreditch, Hackney.

Residents will be able to tune in to a "community safety channel" showing images from 11 CCTV cameras in the area.

Under the scheme any suspicious behaviour can be reported by text, via TV sets, to the local police.

The police will also be able to broadcast on the channel details of local people suspected of breaching antisocial behaviour orders.

If the scheme proves successful it will be offered to 20,000 homes in an area that will be covered by 400 CCTV cameras.

The scheme is being organised by the Shoreditch Trust, a regeneration agency that was given £53m to turn around a rundown area, under the government's New Deal for Communities programme.

Two other London boroughs have expressed interest in the plan.

Gareth Crossman, the policy director for Liberty, said: "The recognised privacy implications of CCTV footage mean that its storage, use and destruction should be subject to data protection principles. By allowing widespread access you increase the possibility of infringement of privacy rights."

A spokesman for the trust insisted this move wound not usher in a Big Brother state to Shoreditch.

He said: "Every body talks glowingly of the days, in the 1940s and 50s, when neighbours looked out for one another. This is about using technology to allow everyone to look out for each other.

"This is not about some anonymous Big Brother figure looking down on you, the entire community will have access to this technology."

Images from the cameras will be broadcast in 30-second stints, on a loop. Residents will not be able to direct the coverage or record it.

Shoreditch Trust said it would review the initiative if it was abused. Its spokesman added: "We are confident that housesholds won't use this in a voyeuristic way, it's for security."

He pointed out that it was suggested by residents in focus groups held by the trust.

"It addresses not just the reality of crime but the fear of crime, which can be just as debilitating as crime itself. Its something that residents find reassuring," he added.

The scheme is part of wider programme to bring broadband connections to low income households, for £3.50 a week.